Immediately, the room began to spin, and my glass slipped from my hand. I opened my mouth in horror as I clutched my throat, glancing between my suitors and Iris. Many of them jumped to their feet as I dropped from my seat and hit the floor.
Fear raced through me as my vision faded. The world turned black, and my last thought was, what if I’d gotten this wrong?
Twenty-Nine
Keane
I ran through the gate, my strides lengthening and one hand on the hilt of my sword as I approached the castle doors. What had I been thinking? I couldn’t leave Lily. I needed her, and I needed to protect her. No one else cared for Lily the way I did. No one else valued her life the same way or could protect her like I wanted to. I’d been gone from her side for only a few hours, and it already felt like an eternity.
I strode into the entrance hall, sunlight through the window capturing motes of dust in its rays, which reflected off the silver mirrors. I heard laughter and chatting coming from the main banquet hall. Then the laughter turned to gaps of horror and shouts of alarm, and I broke into a run, my heart pounding with sudden intuition.
“Princess Lily!” someone shouted.
“Call for the medic!”
I skidded around the corner to find Lily slumped in her chair as Lord Vasso stood beside her, cradling her body in his arms. Iris was beside them, sobbing and pulling on Lily’s gown.
My heart broke into a thousand pieces. I was too late.
“Lily!” I added my shout to the panic, and everyone turned and looked at me. I rushed to Lily but she was pale and unresponsive, her lips taking on a blue hue. No, Sun and Moon, no!
Grimelda barked out a sudden laugh of triumph, and when I looked up, the harsh laugh became as smooth cackle as Grimelda morphed into a beautiful woman with a cascade of red curls and amber eyes—an older version of Iris.
Queen Riala.
“Fools!” she said. “You won’t save her this time.”
Lord Malren entered the room behind her, a look of pure satisfaction on his face. He held his sword ready, making the suitors back away from Riala. “I regret to inform you all that none of you shall be King and your presence is no longer required here.”
I ignored them all as I clutched Lily in my arms, trying to force her to breathe, trying to make her heart beat again. Please be alive, my love. Please hold on for me.
But her face remained lifeless and still.
She was gone.
My agony turned to pure rage as I looked up at the people responsible—Malren and Riala. I carefully set Lily on the ground before I stood and unsheathed my sword. Bellowing a cry borne of anguish and regret, I ran toward Riala, but she used magic to shoot lightning at me, and I barely managed to dodge. It hit the wall behind me, scorching it black.
Then she wrapped her arms around Iris, who screamed and kicked and cried for her sister, but then shadows gathered around them—and they vanished. Teleporting away to Sun and Moon knew where.
Malren’s eyes grew wide. “Riala!” he cried into the empty space where she and Iris had stood mere moments before. “How could you leave me here?”
The lords behind me scrambled to join the fray as more of Malren’s soldiers poured in behind him. I glared at him, my hand tightening on my sword, my rage red hot inside me. He’d tried to kidnap Lily, and now he was an accomplice in her death.
I lunged right for Malren himself, who met my blade with his own. He glared daggers at me as we traded blows, and even though he was an expert swordsman, he didn’t have my training, my drive, or my heartache.
With a roar, I knocked his sword aside and then stabbed him in the chest. His eyes widened again, his mouth dropping open and color leaching from his face as my blade slid straight between his ribs.
A bloom of red soaked the fabric of his shirt, and I yanked my sword back, leaving Malren’s body to fall to the floor. I stood over him as he gasped for a breath, and his chest rattled, the noise loud enough to hear over the clash of swords around us.
“I was supposed to be King,” he whispered, as his eyes fluttered closed.
“And Lily was supposed to be Queen,” I growled, with not one ounce of remorse in my body for the man who would have killed Lily several times over to realize his own ambition.
My thoughts back on Lily, I wiped the top of my sword on the outside of my trousers, leaving a vivid smear of red on the fabric as I rushed back to where I’d left her. Even as I approached, I could see there’d been no change. Her usually pale face was ashen, almost gray, and her beautiful red lips had darkened to purple.
As Lily’s suitors took out the rest of the attackers, I gathered Lily into my arms and sat against the wall as I cradled her, seeing only her, talking to only her. Tears filled my eyes and spilled down my cheeks, but I didn’t brush them away. Anyone could see how much love I had for this woman, but none of that mattered anymore.
I buried my face in her soft brown hair as my shoulders shook and grief took hold of me. Why did I leave her? Stupid pride had taken me away, along with fear that I’d never be enough, and worry that no one would accept me by Lily’s side, no matter what I wanted. I’d been trying to do the right thing, to make her stronger and freeing her up to choose the best man for Talador, but I’d left her unprotected. I’d killed her by leaving.
I’d taken an oath to guard her at all times, and I’d failed. Of course I should have been with her, at her side, protecting her. Loving her.
I’d never told her. She didn’t know. I’d never said the words.
Now, it was too late. The time had passed, and I’d never get it back.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. Sorry for everything. For the way I’d left, for not being able to save her, and for the three words I’d never said.
I turned at the shuffle of feet beside me. The noise of fighting had faded and when I glanced across the room, several bodies lay on the floor and the rest of Malren’s soldiers had been restrained and subdued. My guards were leading the last few from the room, ignoring their struggles and forcing them to comply.
Danzin stood beside me, and I looked at his blurry image before shaking my head. I changed my position so I could lie Lily on the floor then I knelt beside her and smoothed her hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear and caressing her cheeks.
I leaned closer. I had words I only wanted her to hear as I said my goodbye. “I love you, Lily. I’ll always love you.”
Then I pressed a soft kiss to her cold lips. The last time I’d ever kiss her.
Her lips parted and she gasped in a breath.
“Lily?” Confusion whirled through my mind, and I looked up at Danzin. “Help her! She’s not dead!” I lifted her like I was offering her to him, and he kneeled beside me.
“She needs to rest,” he said.
“No.” My voice was firm. “You need to look at her. You need to make her better like you did for Lord Vasso.”
But Danzin shook his head. “She has no need of that. This was an illusion of sorts to trick Riala into thinking she’d killed Lily. An illusion to fool the master of illusions.”
My pulse thundered through my ears, marking each second as it passed. “What do you mean, an illusion?” I took Lily’s hand between mine, trying to warm it as her eyelids fluttered and she tried to open her eyes.
“Princess Lily came to me earlier this morning and told me of a plot against her life. I gave her some herbs to make it appear she’d succumbed to the poisoning Riala had planned.”
I shook my head. None of it made sense. And why hadn’t I been informed? But fresh shame coursed through me. I hadn’t been here to help.
“She just needs some air and she’ll be perfectly well.” He drew his eyebrows together. “I promise, I was very careful with dosage. I would never harm Talador’s future queen, Captain Keane.”
I nodded, the movement abrupt. Of course he wouldn’t. But bitterness still ate at me that Lily had approached Danzin for help, that I’d pushed her into that position. I couldn’t blame e
ither of them for their actions though. The only person who deserved my reproach was me. But not now. There was too much else going on for me to wallow in self-recrimination.
Lily murmured, and I drew her back into my arms, sitting her against me. “Take it easy. Give yourself a few minutes to catch your breath.” I studied her, trying to reassure myself her color was returning to normal, that her chest expanded with fresh breaths.
Her other suitors gathered close, and it was clear they were all relieved to see Lily alive, even as they crowded around her.
She sat up, and gave them all a small smile. “Thank you all for your help today. You are certainly the bravest and most honorable men in all the six kingdoms, and I could not ask for better suitors. However. I’d like everyone to leave the room please. I need a little privacy to recover myself.”
“Of course,” many of the men said, as they bowed, offered their well wishes, and departed the room.
I started to stand but Lily pressed her hand to my thigh. “Except for you.”
After the last guard left the room, dragging the last of Malren’s captured soldiers with him, I faced Lily. “I’m so sor—” I started, but she pressed her finger to my lips.
“Not now.” Then she leaned forward and pressed her lips against mine, softly at first, then with everything she had, and I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close in case she slipped away again.
My breathing hitched as her tongue touched against my lips, bold and asking permission all at once, and I opened to her passion, losing myself in relief and triumph and love.
She drew away, each of her breaths a little shaky as she rested her forehead against mine. “I love you too, Keane,” she whispered, “and I don’t want to be parted from you ever again.”
I froze as I met her gaze. “You heard me?”
She nodded. “Yes, I was already starting to wake when you said them.”
“I love you.” It was worth saying again and again. I needed to make up for all the times I should have said it. “And I won’t leave your side. Not while I still have breath in my body.”
“I’ll hold you to that, but first, what do we need to do to make things right here again?”
I sighed as memories of the battle crashed back into my mind now Lily was safe and well. “Riala took Iris.”
“She did what?” Lily struggled to stand, and I helped her up. “We need to find them!”
“We will. I promise.”
Lily chewed her lip. “I don’t think Riala will hurt Iris, but we need to hurry anyway. Riala plans to declare herself the true Queen of Talador.”
“We won’t allow that to happen.” I held out my hand to Lily, supporting her weight as easily as I took each new breath. “Shall we, Your Majesty?”
“We shall,” she agreed as she wove her fingers between mine and we walked across the room. She looked down at Malren’s body and the pool of blood beneath him. “Did you…?”
“Yes,” I said simply.
“Good.” Her fingers tightened around mine and her back straightened as we walked out of the room—with her looking every inch a queen. My queen.
Thirty
Lily
We walked away from the banquet hall, the table still overflowing with uneaten food as kitchen maids came running in to clear it.
I clasped Keane’s hand in mine, grateful that he was walking beside me rather than behind me. I sneaked a quick glance at him, hardly daring to believe this man loved me. I needed to keep him close, and not only because in his presence I could breathe easier. We didn’t know what Riala would do next.
“Tell me everything that happened when I was gone,” he said.
I nodded and quickly told him all that had happened in the last few hours, including the revelation that Riala had killed my father. At the end I said, “We played right into Riala’s hands, with me coming here to Gilbrook Castle.”
“This was probably her plan when she attacked you outside Winton Castle, to get you to move somewhere we all felt more secure but where she had more control. There was no way you could have known.”
Regret trickled through me. “I endangered everyone here—including all of those lords who came with expectations of potential marriage.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Have you made your choice in that matter?”
His words brought back our earlier argument. Now we’d admitted we loved each other, but that didn’t change anything between us. We still couldn’t be together. But I knew I couldn’t marry any of those men either. “Yes, I have, and I suppose it’s time I broke the news to them.”
Keane stiffened beside me at the words, as we entered the great hall. Calling it a great hall felt overly grandiose. It was much smaller than the one at Winton Castle and felt smaller still with everyone crowded inside. I glanced at the mirror on the wall with a frown, knowing Riala could be watching us even now. Keane dropped my arm, walked over to it, and smashed it with his elbow. All of the other lords jumped and stared at his bold action.
“Princess Lily.” Lord Theund stood up. “It’s good to see you looking so well.”
Each of my suitors stood as I moved further into the room, still clutching Keane’s hand, my gaze landing on Lasloe as he held Gusten’s hand. At least two of them were happy.
“Thank you,” I said, my voice crystal clear, even though I didn’t know exactly what to say. “Thank you again for helping me this morning. Clearly something terrible has happened in my kingdom, something that I need to put right before I can continue with my plans for the future. I wish all of you well, and I really do count each one of you as a very dear friend.”
Danzin stepped forward. “Please don’t feel you need to continue, Princess Lily. I think each of us knows where your true affections lie. It has been one of my greatest pleasures to meet you, and I hope I may visit Talador again soon to study your plants some more.” He grinned and pushed his glasses back up his nose in a now-familiar gesture.
“I really appreciate your support, and you are welcome—all of you—in Talador always.” I gazed across the room, trying to include them all. “I think it’s safe to say I wouldn’t be alive now if I hadn’t had all of you here to help me.”
Keane squeezed my fingers gently as if conveying his regret, but he was here now and that was all that mattered. I took reassurance from having him at my side.
Theund stepped forward. “We’d like to help you further, if we can.” He glanced over his shoulder at the others as if daring them to disagree. “The evil queen must be stopped.”
The others nodded in agreement, even Covack, who had managed to stay awake somehow. “I think we should prepare to follow her immediately,” he said, and it was possibly the longest sentence I’d heard from him that wasn’t interrupted by a yawn.
The other men all chimed in with their support, even Lord Vasso, who seemed to be completely recovered by now. Each of these men deserved to find happiness and good wives. Perhaps I could help when all of this was resolved and my position in Talador was secure. If nothing else, Riala had strengthened my resolve on two things.
One, I was fit to rule Talador—and I was ready for whatever happened next. And two, I needed to remove the ban on magic as soon as possible. She’d exposed all of our vulnerabilities. Without magic, our defenses were weak, and I didn’t intend Talador to be weak ever again.
“We have to assume she’s gone to Winton Castle,” Keane said. “If we base our assumptions on the fact she believes herself to be the true Queen of Talador, she’d likely go straight to the throne to secure it.”
I nodded. “I think you’re right, and it’s going to take us a few days to get there. We should pack and make ourselves ready to leave immediately.”
Keane barked orders and laid out a quick plan for everyone to follow, and then my suitors dispersed to gather their things and prepare to depart. As the room became empty, I sighed.
“We’ll make everything right again,” Keane reassured me.
“I know, but I c
an’t help worrying about Iris.” I nibbled my bottom lip. My sister was suddenly with the mother she’d never known, and I wasn’t there to help her through that. Not only that, but Riala had come far too close to ending my life. If I hadn’t overheard her and Malren in that cellar room, I might have eaten her poisoned breakfast.
Keane squeezed my hand. “You said it yourself that Riala won’t hurt Iris. Why would she? She’s her mother.”
I grimaced. “Yes, but I suspect she’ll want to mold Iris in her image.”
“We won’t let that happen. Besides, Iris has had twelve years of your influence in her life. Don’t lose faith in her ability to know right from wrong.”
I nodded, my mind still somewhere else. Sun and Moon knew what Riala was doing. Hopefully my sisters were all safe and well.
“I need to pack quickly,” I said. “If Riala is at Winton Castle, she could be doing all sorts of damage and creating no end of conflict. My other sisters are there, after all. How long do you think it will take to get there if we don’t stop overnight?”
Keane rested his hands on my shoulders. “Try to relax. We will get to the castle as soon as we can, but you still need to regain your strength. You recently died, after all.”
“I’m fine,” I said, though I did relax a little at his touch. “Though I’m much better now that you’ve returned.”
His calloused fingers brushed against my cheek. “I won’t leave you ever again.”
“See that you don’t.”
I took hold of his jacket before pressing my lips to his. He grunted his surprise and took a moment to respond. After everything that had happened today, and the threat looming over us, I needed Keane’s comfort more than ever. Then his fingers threaded into my hair as he held me to him, and he walked me backward to the nearby table.
“I’m so relieved. I thought you were gone without me ever saying…” As he spoke, he released my hair from the pins and it cascaded down my back. He buried his face in my hair and breathed deeply.
Kiss Of Snow (Royal Hearts Book 2) Page 15
